Personalized content from indexed archives

Abstract

Personalized content is generated from different media items using a content index. The content index is generated or updated by identifying segments of media items that are of particular interest to users. User interactions with the media items are analyzed and metadata of segments of media items that are determined to be of particular interest to the users is recorded. The parameters associated with a request for personalized content for a user are matched with the recorded metadata to identify relevant media items or segments of media items which are transmitted to the user as the personalized content.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of providing personalized content, comprising:
 providing, by a computing device, user access to media items from a plurality of domains, the media items having respective domain-specific metadata associated therewith; 
 receiving, by the computing device, a request for personalized content for a user, the personalized content being generated from at least one of the domains; 
 obtaining, by the computing device, parameters associated with the request; 
 accessing, by the computing device, a content index comprising the respective domain-specific metadata associated with the media items; 
 mapping, by the computing device, the parameters to the domain-specific metadata; 
 identifying, by the computing device, a plurality of the media item segments with the domain-specific metadata that match at least a subset of the parameters, wherein the plurality of media item segments are segments extracted from disparate ones of the media items; 
 selecting, by the computing device, a subset of the plurality of media item segments as the personalized content to be transmitted to the user based on respective importance scores, each of the respective importance scores is a rank of each media item segment relative to other segments and indicative of importance of content in each media item segment; 
 obtaining, by the computing device, respective values of a level of interest variable different from the respective importance scores for each media item segment of the subset of media item segments, wherein the respective values of the level of interest variable are determined based on prior interactions of other users with each media item segment of the subset of media item segments and the respective values of the level of interest variable are indicative of a likely extent of the user's interest in each media item segment of the subset of media item segments; 
 arranging, by the computing device based on the respective values of the level of interest variable, each media item segment of the subset of media item segments in the personalized content that are selected based on the respective importance scores; and 
 transmitting, by the computing device, the personalized content comprising the arranged subset of the plurality of media item segments to the user. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the subset of media item segments further comprises,
 selecting, by the computing device for inclusion into the personalized content, the subset of the plurality of media item segments that comprise the respective values that are indicative of a high level of user interest. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computing device, information associated with user interactions with the personalized content executed as the user consumes the personalized content; and 
 updating, by the computing device, the respective values for the level of interest variable of the subset of media item segments based on the user interactions. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein criterion for arranging the subset of media item segments further comprises temporal data specifying a temporal sequence for ordering the subset of media items. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the criterion for arranging the subset of media item segments comprises an ordered list of entities selected by the user. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parameters further comprise a number of media item segments to be included in the personalized content, a time period of each of the subset of media item segments, and a total time period of the personalized content. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 serving, by the computing device, a context sensitive advertisement along with the personalized content transmitted to the user. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of media items feature highlights of a plurality of sporting events. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 removing, by the computing device, from the plurality of media items prior to the selection of the subset of media item segments, a media item that has a level of interest variable value indicative of low user interest. 
 
     
     
       10. A computing device comprising:
 a processor; 
 a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor,
 the program logic comprising: 
 
 logic for enabling user access to media items from a plurality of domains, the media items having respective domain-specific metadata associated therewith; 
 receiving logic, executed by a processor, for receiving a request for personalized content for a user, the personalized content being generated from at least one of the domains; 
 obtaining logic, executed by the processor, for obtaining parameters associated with the request; 
 accessing logic, executed by the processor, for accessing a content index comprising the domain-specific metadata associated with media items; 
 mapping logic, executed by the processor, for mapping the parameters to the domain-specific metadata; 
 media item identifying logic, executed by the processor, for identifying a plurality of the media item segments with the domain-specific metadata that match at least a subset of the parameters, wherein the plurality of media item segments are segments extracted from disparate ones of the media items; 
 importance score selecting logic, executed by the processor, for selecting a subset of media item segments as the personalized content based on respective importance scores, each of the respective importance scores is a rank of each media item segment relative to other segments and indicative of importance of content in each media item segment; 
 obtaining logic, executed by the processor, for obtaining respective values of a level of interest variable different from the respective importance scores for each media item segment of the subset of media item segments, wherein the values of the level of interest variable are determined based on prior interactions of other users with each media item segment of the subset of media item segments and the respective values of the level of interest variable are indicative of a likely extent of the user's interest in each media item segment of the subset of media item segments; 
 arranging logic, executed by the processor, for arranging, based on the respective values of the level of interest variable, each media item segment of the subset of media item segments in the personalized content that are selected based on the respective importance scores; and 
 transmitting logic, executed by the processor, for transmitting the personalized content comprising the arranged subset of media item segments to the user. 
 
     
     
       11. The computing device of  claim 10 , further comprising,
 interesting items selecting logic, executed by the processor, for selecting the subset of the plurality of media item segments comprising the respective values that are indicative of a high level of user interest. 
 
     
     
       12. The computing device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 user interaction receiving logic, executed by the processor, for receiving information regarding user interactions with the personalized content executed as a user consumes the personalized content; and 
 updating logic, executed by the processor, for updating the respective values for the level of interest variable for the subset of media item segments based on the user interactions. 
 
     
     
       13. The computing device of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 criteria identifying logic, executed by the processor, for identifying a criterion for arranging the subset of media item segments in the personalized content to be transmitted to the user. 
 
     
     
       14. The computing device of  claim 13 , wherein the criterion for arranging the subset of media item segments comprises temporal data specifying a temporal sequence for ordering the plurality of media items. 
     
     
       15. The computing device of  claim 13 , wherein the criterion for arranging the plurality of media item segments comprises an ordered list of entities. 
     
     
       16. The computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the parameters further comprise a number of media item segments to be included in the personalized content, a time period of each of the subset of media item segments, and a total time period of the personalized content. 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having stored thereon, processor-executable instructions for:
 providing user access to media items from a plurality of domains, the media items having respective domain-specific metadata associated therewith; 
 receiving a request for personalized content for a user, the personalized content being generated from at least one of the domains; 
 obtaining parameters associated with the request; 
 accessing a content index comprising the respective domain-specific metadata associated with media items; 
 mapping the parameters to the domain-specific metadata; 
 identifying a plurality of the media item segments with metadata that match at least a subset of the parameters, wherein the plurality of media item segments are segments extracted from disparate ones of the media items; 
 selecting a subset of the plurality of media item segments as the personalized content to be transmitted to the user based on respective importance scores, each of the respective importance scores is a rank of each media item segment relative to other segments and indicative of importance of content in each media item segment; 
 obtaining respective values of a level of interest variable different from the respective importance scores for each media item segment of the subset of media item segments, wherein the values of the level of interest variable are determined based on prior interactions of other users with each media item segment of the subset of media item segments and the respective values of the level of interest variable are indicative of a likely extent of the user's interest in each media item segment of the subset of media item segments; 
 arranging, based on the respective values of the level of interest variable, each media item segment of the subset of media item segments in the personalized content that are selected based on the respective importance scores; and 
 transmitting the personalized content comprising the arranged subset of media item segments to the user. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein instructions for selecting the subset of media items further comprises instructions for:
 selecting for inclusion into the personalized content, the subset of the plurality of media item segments that comprise the respective values that are indicative of a high level of user interest. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions for:
 receiving information associated with user interactions with the personalized content executed as a user consumes the personalized content; and 
 updating the respective values for the level of interest variable based on the user interactions. 
 
     
     
       20. A method for providing personalized content comprising:
 displaying to a user, by a computing device on a display medium, a personalized user interface comprising information regarding a plurality of entities, the plurality of entities associated with media items from a plurality of domains, the media items having respective domain-specific metadata associated therewith; 
 receiving, by the computing device, a current user selection of one of the plurality of entities, the entity associated with at least one of the domains; 
 transmitting, by the computing device, the current user selection to a content provider; 
 receiving, by the computing device, from the content provider, personalized content associated with the current user selection, the personalized content comprises a subset of a plurality of media item segments extracted from the media items featuring the user selected entity, the subset of media item segments are selected based on respective importance scores, the respective importance scores is a rank of each media item segment relative to other segments and indicative of importance of content in each media item segment and the subset of media item segments that are selected based on the respective importance scores are arranged in the personalized content based on respective values of a level of interest variable different from the respective importance scores, the respective values of the level of interest variable are determined based on prior interactions of other users with each of the subset of media item segments and the respective values of the level of interest variable of the subset of media segments are indicative of high user interest; 
 displaying, by the computing device, the received personalized content to the user; and 
 receiving, by the computing device, information regarding a user interaction with the personalized content during the display of the personalized content; and 
 transmitting, by the computing device, the user interaction information to the content provider. 
 
     
     
       21. A computing device comprising:
 a processor; 
 a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising: 
 interface display logic, executed by a processor for displaying to a user, on a display medium, a personalized user interface comprising information associated with a plurality of entities, the plurality of entities associated with media items from a plurality of domains, the media items having respective domain-specific metadata associated therewith; 
 current selection receiving logic, executed by the processor, for receiving a current user selection of one of the plurality of entities; 
 current selection transmitting logic, executed by the processor, for transmitting the current user selection to a content provider; 
 receiving logic, executed by the processor, for receiving from the personalized content provider, personalized content associated with the current user selection, the personalized content comprises a subset of a plurality of media segments extracted from the media items featuring the user selected entity, the subset of media item segments are selected based on respective importance scores, the respective importance scores is a rank of each media item segment relative to other segments and indicative of importance of content in each media segment and the subset of media item segments that are selected based on the respective importance scores are arranged in the personalized content based on respective values of a level of interest variable different from the respective importance scores, the respective values of the level of interest variable are determined based on prior interactions of other users with each of the subset of media item segments and the respective values of the level of interest variable of the subset of media segments are indicative of high user interest; 
 personalized content display logic, executed by the processor, for displaying the received personalized content to the user; and 
 user interaction receiving logic, executed by the processor, for receiving information regarding a user interaction with the personalized content during the display of the personalized content; and 
 user interaction transmitting logic, executed by the processor, for transmitting the user interaction information to the content provider.